System and apparatus for handling concrete



p 1944- ,1. s.- FRANCO 2,357,583

FIGJ.

John 5. Franco INVENTOR.

BY w

Sept. 5, 1944.

J. S. FRANCO SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CONC/RETE i k-s! FiledJuly 29, 1942 u llll. I

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 John 51F ranco INVENTOR BY flzwfw AT TORNEYZ Sept. 5,1944 J s FRANCO 2,357,583

SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CONCRETE Filed July 29, 1942 5Sheets-Sheet 3 John 5. Franco INVENTOR.

mfg/14 55AM ATTORNEY.

Sept. 5, 1944. J 5, FRANCO SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CONCRETEFiled July 29, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 John Sfranco INVENTOR. ATTORNEY.

7 Sept. 5, 1944.

J. s. FRANCO 2,357,583

SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CONCRETE Filed July 29 1942 5Sheets-Sheet 5 l 'l I vll P 3 FIG- 7 John S. Franco INVENTOR.

A? TORNEYZ Patented Sept. 5, 1944 SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING.

CONCRETE John S. Franco, Redwood City, Calif.

Application: July 29,1942; Serial no. 452,755.

26 Claims. (01: 214-121) This invention relates to a system. andapparatus for handling concrete delivered from truck mixers'or the liketo an erection job requiring elevation and distributionof the concrete.

In the delivery, elevation and distribution of concrete from acentralplant, it has been the practice to construct fixed elevatortowers on the- .job or to'provide some'sort'of a portable elevator.Generally the trucks were required to discharge into the elevator bucketand the latter wasraised to the top of. the tower and emptied into smallcartsor a chute. The operations were relatively slow and. often a truckhad to be held on the job for-an hour or more while emptying. Failure ofthe next truck to arrive on time resulted in stopping of-the pouringoperations, and too early an arrival of the next truck resulted in awast of time, all of which meant a loss in not only the time of labor,but in large investment costs as well.

Attempts have'been made to save in the time for unloading trucks byproviding on large jobs a fixed storage bunker employing ramps on whichthe trucks were run to unload directly into .the bunker; In other cases,large buggiesor small portable bunkers were employed- Such portablebunkers had to be made low. enough to receive the concrete from thetruckby gravity flow, and could not be made with capacity to hold anysubstantial amount of concrete. Th concrete was stored temporarily inthe bunker and then transferred to an elevator tower by buggies or smallcarts for distribution to pouring operations.

The difficulty of filling. a large bunker and the.

lack of capacity of the portable bunkersmade these practices generallyunsatisfactory. There was no way of preventing initial setting of theconcrete in the. bunker when. delays in pouring were encountered. Onsmall jobs the cost and:

erection of a tower for each job was a substantial item of the contractprice.

The'principal object of the present invention is-to eliminate. thesedifficulties and to provide a ksystemior handlingconcrete and anapparatus. therefor that can be employed universally on small and, largejobs alike and that enablesthe continuous pouring of concrete with lowerin- I vestment and labor costs and with fewer trucks fordelivery' of theconcrete.

In carrying out the-invention in its broader into the bunker andreturned formore'concrete without delay. The concrete isreceived fromthetruck by an elevator in the toweriand. delivered into thestorage bunkerfrom which his later delivered again to the elevator andelevated-to thedistributing point as needed. The use of the elevatorin the tower forthe. dual purpose of loading the bunker and of. elevating the: concreteto the pouring level efiects a-very considerable saving, and at the sametime provides for the unloading of the trucks without the use of specialequipment and without limitation of the capacity of the bunker.

Another: object isto provide a system'and apparatus in which theconcrete in the. storage bunker'may be prevented from taking an initialvset during delays encountered'in pouring; For this purpose, theinventionprovideslforthe recirculation of the concrete by the elevatorbucket, the latter successively receiving loads of concrete from thebottom'oi the bunker and discharging the same into the top ofthesbunker, thereby constantly mixing the concrete in the bunker. Thishas the addedsadvantageof mix ing th concrete from severalbatches'where'the 1 bunker contains. more than one truckload" of'concrete.

Another object is toseparate the pouring from the unloading operationsso that thesame elevatormay be used'for either operationwithoutinterrupting the other operation. This is generally accomplishedby providing a secondary storage hopper at the top of the elevatorcapable of hold ing sufiicient concrete for normal pouring oper bunkeron the vehicle carrying the tower withv the sides of the bunkerfoldingto .fumishroom for the towerwhen the latter is tilted-tohorizontal position for transporting. Thisv enables the employment of ahigh bunker. capable of holding more than one truckload of concrete andin effect providing for the mixing o1 diiierent I batches of concrete,as by'reci rculation'.

' Another object is to provide mechanism for more readily raising. andlowering the tower: and for bracing the same when: raised.v

Another object is to provideasimple andprac- I tical means for levelingthe tower and supporting it in upright position.

Another object isto. provide fora single elevator to deliver concrete toa storage bunker and to the pouring level alternatively, and to receiveconcrete from a delivery truck or from the storage bunker alternatively.

In its more specific aspect, one of the objects of the invention is toprovide a portable tower for delivering concrete to either side of thetower at adjustable levels and at the same time provide for tilting ofthe tower to a horizontal position on a vehicle with the deliverymechanism within th lateral boundary lines of the vehicle and tower.This enables the vehicle carrying the tower to be parked in normalposition parallel to the curb of a street at an erection job and todeliver concrete at right angles to the loading position so that only anarrow portion of the street need be occupied for th work. Furthermore,with the construction employed there is substantially no lateral loadingtending to tip th truck and tower to one side.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter inthe description of the specific embodiment of the invention illustratedin'the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus showing the tower invertical operating position;

Fig. 2 is a similar elevation showing the tower and partsfolded andready for transportation.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the apparatus with the tower in verticalposition;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the apparatus taken on line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the upper end of the tower showing thedelivery hopper;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail diagrammatic view showing the levelingindicators and adjusters for the rear of the truck and the tower;

Fig. '7 is another detail diagrammatic view showing the switch operatingmechanism for delivering concrete to the storage bunker;

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view showing the ram for raising thetower from a horizontal position;

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the ram extended after raising of thetower; and

Fig. 10 is a section taken on line Ill-l of Fi 9.

Fig. 11 is a detail view of the tower leveling jack.

The apparatus comprises in general a trailer or truck i with a largestorage bunker 2 supported thereon and an elevator tower 3 preferablycarried by the bunker frame.

The truck I may be any suitable transportation vehicle, that illustratedhaving a strong horizontal frame 4 supported on forward rubbertiredwheels and rear traction rubber-tired wheels 6. The forward end of theframe 4 carries the usual truck engine 1 and driver's cab 8. Thereargend' of the frame 4 carries a strong bunker frame 9 in which thebunker 2 is secured.

In between the bunker frame 9 and cab 3, the truck frame 4 carries apower unit comprising the engine in and suitable winches ll, l2 and I3fo operating the apparatus.

The frame 4 carries three jacks I4, I! and I6. The jack I4 is locatedcentrally on a crossbeam ll of the frame intermediate the wheels forsupporting the tower elevating mechanism. Jacks l5 and I6 are located atthe opposite rear corners of the frame 4, behind the rear tractionwheels 8 of the truck. The jacks are employed to level the bunkertransversely so that the tower may pivot on a horizontal axis. The Jacks50 accuse port the truck under operating loads and relieve the tiresfrom undue weight of concrete during operation of the apparatus.

The bunker frame 8 comprises corner posts It supporting the horizontallongitudinal and transverse beams I9 forming a rectangle. Diagonalstruts 20 brace the frame 8 on all sides.

The bunker 2 is supported within the frame 3 and has a rectangular crosssection with the bottom 2| of the bunker slanting downwardly from eachside toward the center and a discharge spout 22 slanting downwardly tothe rear, with the door 23 closing the spout in the vertical rear planeof the bunker 2 and frame 9. The door 23 is slidable vertically by meansof levers and connecting links 24 located in handy reach of theoperator. The lower end of spout 22 has a horizontally pivoted section25 so that it can be manually pivoted upwardly out of the way of theelevator. In its upper position the section 25 serves to catch anyconcrete leaking past the door 23.

The bunker 2 has upstanding sides 26 above the bunker frame 9, theforward and rear sides being hinged to pivot out of the way of the tower3 when the latter is lowered to horizontal or reclining position acrossthe bunker. For this purpose, the forward side of the bunker may behinged on a vertical axis at one corner of the bunker to swing inwardlyagainst one of the sides, while the rear side may be hinged at itsbottom along frame 9 to swing downwardly as the tower tilts against it.Suitable catches or latches may be provided'to hold the sides inposition during operation of the bunker to hold concrete.

The frame 9 of the bunker supports a platform 21 along its forward edgeand a ladder 23 is provided for access thereto.

The tower 3 is horizontally pivoted by the bearings 29 to the rear endof the side beams of the bunker frame 9 so that the tower can be pivotedforwardly across the top of the bunker frame from the vertical operatingposition to the horizontal transporting position. The tower 3 ispreferably supported at all times by the pivot 29. When the tower isvertical, its weight is transmitted downwardly through the bearings andrear posts I3 and thence to the rear jacks l5 and I6. When the tower isreclined or sub-. stantially horizontal, the weight of its rear end istransmitted downwardly through the rear posts l8 to the truck frame 4,and the weight of its forward end is transmitted downwardly to the frame4 by a pair of auxiliary posts 30, preferably located immediately to therear of the cab 8. The posts 30 have a crossbar 3| connecting theirupper ends and upon which the front end of the tower rests. Diagonalbraces 32 support the posts 30 against tilting on the frame 4.

The tower 3 preferably comprises latticed structural members providing arectangular horizontal cross section defining an elevator shaft 33. Theelevating open-top bucket 34 is raised and lowered in shaft 33 by meansof a cable 35 extending over the pulley 36 at the top of the tower andto the elevator winch H which is operated by engine It).

The tower 3 provides three stations for the bucket 34: (1) the lowerfilling station; (2) the station for discharge of the bucket into thestorage bunker 2; and (3) the upper distribution station adjustable inheight where the bucket discharges into suitable distributing means.

bucket 34 may proceed rapidly.

er 3 so that the bottom of the bucket does not come into contact withthe ground and become injured. At this station the tower 3 carries achute 31 which may be adjusted in height to receive mixed concrete froma mixer truck 38 and discharge it into the bucket 34. The chute has itslower end 39 manually pivoted upwardly out of the way of the bucket whenthe latter is raised. The upward pivoting of end 39 also serves toretain any dripping of concrete in chute 31 from the truck while thebucket is being emptied. The outer end of chute 31 when in operatingposition is supported by cables so that the chute pivots inwardly whenthe tower is inclined to its horizontal position.

The second station for the bucket 34 is located just above the bunker 2where the tower 3 carries a, discharge spout 4|] for receiving concretefrom the bucket and discharging it into the storage bunker. The bucketis tipped upside down in the discharging process and for this purposeits upper forward corners carry rollers H which ride on the verticaltracks 42 in the tower. At the second station the tracks 42 have amovable section 43 which guides the rollers 4| laterally forward towardthe discharge spout 40. The bucket 34 is suspended'by cable 35 in amanner to lift the bucket vertically in the tower until the rollers 4|move forwardly in the switch track provided by section 43, when thecontinued lifting of the bucket effects a tilting of the latter to thedischarge position.

The switch 43 may be operated by a pair of horizontal links 44 onopposite sides of the tower connected by cranks 45 to a shaft 46, thelatter being rotated by a crank and vertical link 41 connecting with thebell crank operating lever 48 near the stand of the operator. The tracksections 43 are respectively operated by the links 44 and no part of theoperating" mechanism for the switch is disposed on -the'forward side ofthe tower where it might interfere with the dumping of the bucket.

The filling of the storage bunker 2 by the is normally of a size capableof holding the concrete from two or more large delivery trucks. Whilethe trucks are after successive loads, the bucket 34 is operated toreceive concrete from the bunker 2 and deliver it to the third,-or upperdistribution station, the switch 43 being closed.

The first, or filling station for the bucket, is

located below the discharge spout 22 of the bunker so that the bucketmay be filled with concrete from the storage bunker by opening door 23.

The third station for discharge of the bucket is located at the top ofthe tower where a switch The bunker 49 is located to tilt the bucketforward. Switch 4 is permanently open. Its vertical position may beadjusted to vary the elevation of the third station. A splash guard 50may be employed to direct the concrete downwardly as it falls from thetilted bucket. The concrete falls into either a chute for distributionto th'e'pouring station or into a hopper 5| capable of holding severalbucket loads and from which it can be discharged through a lateral spout52. into suitable manual carts 53 for pouring into forms. The switch'49may be adjusted in height by telescoping or extending the sections oftrack 42 and securing the switch in adjusted position.

The hopper 5| is suspended by cables 54 on either side at a suitableadjusted level and by relative adjustment of the cables the hopper can 7be tilted to facilitate its discharge... The cables 54 have their upperends secured to a forwardly extending arm 55 at the top of the tower,and they extend around the underside of the respective pulleys'56 at thehopper 5|, thence upwardly over the pulleys 51 and 58 on top of thetower and down to the manually operated windlasses 59 on the rear sideof the tower near the upper level of the bunker. The hopper 5| issecured to the forward side of the tower 3 during operation by clamps'60 to prevent swinging of the hopper.

The tower is braced on its rear side by a folding truss comprising apair of cables 6|,one on each side of the tower. The cables 6| aresecured to the tower near the top and pass downwardly over the outer endof a central horizontal strut 62 hinged to the tower. The lower ends ofthe cables are provided with hooks 63 formanually securing the same tothe tower near the bottom and with suitable turnbuckles 64 fortightening the cable after securing the hooks in place. When the towerfolds down to horizontal position for transporting, the turnbuckles areloosened and the hooks released so that the strut 82 tips forward andlies fiat on the upper side of the tower.

The mechanism for tilting the tower includes a ram 65 having its lowerend supported on the central crossbeam H of the truck frame and itsupper end extending to about the level of the top of the bunker 2. Theram 65 tilts rearwardly and is secured to the forward edge ofplatform.21 constituting an extension of the bunker frame 9.

The ram 65 comprises two 'sidechannel posts 66 facing each other andconstituting a housin and track in which the lower end of the ramextension 61 rides up and down by means of rollers 68. The upper end ofextension 51 has a roller 69 which guides it into a pocket 10 on thetower 3 so that when the ram is extended and the tower is being loweredfroma vertical position, the pocket 10 first receives the end of the ramand then follows down with the same as the ram is lowered to telescopedposition. The upper end of extension 61 moves forward freely out ofalignment with ram 65 to provide for the traveling of the pocket 10 inan arc of a circle having the pivot 29 as a center.

When the tower is in its lower horizontal position, the ram extension 61is below the upper end of ram '65 and the latter extends upwardlythrough the lattice work of the tower. When the tower is in its uppervertical position, it is free of the ram as shown in the drawings andram extension 51 sticks upwardly in extended position ready to receivethe tower when the latter is lowered again. In this position theextension 61 is interlocked with the upper end of ram 65 to preventaccidental swinging of the extension forwardly, as by a man on platform21.

The ram extension is raised and lowered by a block and tacklearrangement employing a pulley block 1| inside the lower end ofextension 61 and a corresponding pulley block 12 at the rear of theupper end of ram 65. The cable 13 5 passes over the respective pulleysand is wound on winch 2, operated by engine l0.

The ram serves to raise and lower the tower between a reclining or asubstantially horizontal position and a tilting position of about 55from the horizontal. Above this latter position the tower is raised andlowered by means of a cable 14 wound 'on winch l3 operated by engine it,

vehicles.

and having its outer end secured to the lower end of the tower.

In raising the tower, winch I2 is first operated to raise ram extension81 to its extended position where the tower will tilt at an angle ofabout 55. During this operation, a removable hand crank I5 may beapplied to winch l3 to wind the loose cable 14 on the drum of the winchas the lower end of the tower moves downwardly. When the ram has reachedits extended position, the clutch 15 for operating winches l2 and I3alternatively from engine I0 is moved to effect operation of winch l3 bythe engine. This winds cable 14 on the drum of the winch and pulls thelower end of tower 3 forwardly, thereby pivoting the tower to a verticalposition.

. In order toprevent the tower from tilting too 7 rapidly after itscenter of gravity passes through the vertical axial plane of pivot 29,the bunker frame 9 carries two horizontal jacks 11, one on either side,which engage the respective vertical corner members of the tower.Ordinarily one of the jacks 11 will be sufficient for this purpose,

per limit of its travel, the hand crank 15 is removed and clutch 18 ischanged to connect winch l3 to the drive from engine 10.

The operator turns crank 19 to thread the rod 18 of jack 11 outwardly toa position for abutting the tower as the lower end of the latter is.pulled inwardly by the winding of cable I4 upon winch l3. As the centerof gravity of the tower passes dead center 01 the pivot bearings 29, thetower swings against the end of rod 18 by its own weight. The operatorthen disconnects clutch 16 and by turning crank I9 backwards allows thetower to pivot to vertical position the other jack being employed forcontrolling the For this purpose, the right-hand jack 11 comprises ahorizontal telescoping rod 18 having its members threaded together andsupported in bearings in the frame 8. A crank 19 is secured to the endof the rotary member of rod 18 in handy reach of the operator at theside of the truck, the other member of rod 18 being fixed againstrotation and mounted for axial movement as a jack.

The leveling of the tower is facilitated by suitable plumb bobindicators. One plumb bob 80 is suspended from the bunker frame 9 at apoint where .the bob will be directly above the vertical flange of alongitudinal lower frame member when the truck is level transversely.The'truck is leveled transversely by the jacks l5 and I6, preferablyprior to the raising of the tower. The second plumb bob 8| is suspendedfrom one of the frame elements of tower 3, to be directly above atransverse frame element of the tower when the latter is level in adirection longitudinal of the truck. This leveling operation is carriedout by means of the jacks H.

The invention provides an apparatus which can be utilized on successiveerection jobs and which substantially increases the rapidity of erectionby making the pouring of the concrete independent of its transportationto the job. When a building being erected is ready to receive concrete,the portable tower and bunker unit of the invention is sent to the jobwhere the truck I is parked along the curb of the street at the locationof the job without taking up any more width of the street than thatallotted to parked The jacks l4, .l5 and I6 are operated tosubstantially raise the truck so that its weight will not be supportedon the tires of the rear wheels 6. The jacks l5 and I6 are adjusteduntil the plumb bob 8!! shows the correct indication that the rear endof the truck is level.

Then the operator, standing beside the truck, starts engine I0 andengages clutch 18 with While the latter is winding up cable 13 to raisethe ram extension 61 and tower, the operator applies crank 15 to theshaft of winch I3 and manually winds cable 14 on the winch.

When the ram extension 61 has reached the upwhile winding cable 14 onthe drum of winch l3 with the crank 15. When the plumb bob 81 indicatesthat the tower is vertical, jacks 11 are adjusted to position and thecable 14 is tightened to hold the tower against jacks 11. For thispurpose the winches l2 and I3 should have suitable brakes such asratchets for holding the drums from turning and preventing the payingout of cable.

After the tower is raised, the fore and aft sides 26 of the bunker areswung into position for holding concrete and locked by a suitable latch.The truss cables 6| are manipulated to drop strut 62 to horizontalposition, hooks 63 are secured to' the tower and turnbuckles 64 aretightened. The hopper 5! is unclamped from the tower and raised bymeansof the windlasses 58 to a level above the scaffolding employed for thecarts 53. If the spout 52 of the hopper 5! is on the wrong side, thepulleys 56 with their respective cables are interchanged and againsecured to the hopper. The hopper is then unclamped and the tower tiltedforwardly until the hopper clears the tower and turns to untwist thecables. After this the tower is again brought to vertical position andthe hopper clamped thereto.

In operating the apparatus a mixer truck 38 delivers mixed concrete froma central mixing plant, or the like, to the chute 37 and fills bucket34. The chute 31 is then closed at 39, its end pivoted upwardly, andbucket 34 raised to the second station, with the switch 43 open. Theraising of the bucket is accomplished by levers 82 and 83 which operatewinch ll through a friction clutch and friction brake mechanism,respectively, that alternatively apply hoisting power to cable 35 orbraking power thereto, the non-operating position leaving the winch l Isuftlciently free to allow the cable 35 to pay out under the weight ofthe bucket. 7

After the bucket 34 is dumped into storage bunker 2 the bucket isreturned to the first station where it is again loaded from truck 38 andagain raised and dumped into the bunker. Successive similar operationsfinally empty truck 38 and while the latter is after another load ofconcrete, the bucket 34 is employed to receive concrete from bunker 2 atthe first stationand to raise it past the closed switch 43 to the upperstation where the concrete is dumped into hopper 5|. The hopper issuiliciently large to hold several buckets full of concrete and the menstart pouring concrete as rapidly as they can from the hopper 5|. Wherehandcarts 53 are employed, the hopper 5| constitutes a secondary storagebin for the concrete.

When another truck 38 arrives, the hopper 5| should be substantiallyfull so that bucket 34 can be employed to quickly empty the truck intobunker 2 without interrupting thepouring operations, it being preferableto provide suflicient capacity in hopper 5| to continue the pouringa,ee'r,use I j operations during the time required to empty a truck. Inthis way there is no loss of time on the part of any crew of men nor onthe part of any apparatus and investment.

In case a delay is encountered in pouring operations the concrete in thebunker can be prevented from taking an initial set by recirculating thesame. This is accomplished by using the elevator bucket 34 to receivesuccessive loads of concrete and dumping the same into the top Of thebunker. This not only stirs the concrete and keeps it agitated, but itserves to mix concrete from different batches so that a more uniformconsistency of concrete will be obtained.

Should the early pouring operations be at ground level, it is possibleto raise chute 31 by means of an auxiliary attachment 84 to bucket 34 soas to clear the rear of the tower at the bottom and provide space forreceiving carts 53 directly beneath the spout 22 of the bunker. As theheight of pouring increases, the concrete is next raised to the hopper5| which may be adjusted from its lowermost position just above spout 40to its highest position just below the top of the tower.

Ordinarily the highest position of hopper 5! will provide for pouring at a level about thirty feet above the ground. However, for highererection jobs, it is possible to lower the tower to horizontal positionand attach thereto an extension which, when raised to operatingposition, will provide for pouring at higher levels.

After the pouring operations are completed, the hopper 5| is unclampedand lowered to its lowermost position by windlasses 59 and reclamped tothe tower. The fore and aft sides 26 of bunker 2 are folded and securedout of the way of the tower. The turnbuckles 64 are loosened and hooks63 released. Then the operator, by means of crank 15 pays out cable 14while turning crank 19 to jack the lower end of the tower outwardlyuntil the center of gravity of the tower swings past dead center. Thecontinued lowering of the tower is then controlled by slowly paying outcable 14 until the upper end of ram extension 61 enters pocket on thetower. From there on down, the tower is supported by the ram, and cable14 is allowed to pay out freely while ram extension 61 is slowly loweredby the controlled paying out of cable 13.

When the tower reaches its horizontal position, its forward centralportion rests on the supporting posts 3|]. The hopper 5| enters thespace between bunker 2 and cab.8, above the engine ID and winches H, l2and I3. The spout 40 enters the bunker 2. The strut 62 folds down flaton top of the towerv to reduce the height of the apparatus duringtraveling.

The jacks l4, l5 and 16 are then raised from the ground to providefreedom for traveling and the apparatus driven to the next erection job.

The invention provides for the use of the apparatus on many successivejobs with only a very short time for erection and removal at each job.The street and sidewalk in front of an erection job need not beobstructed for long periods of time, as often occurs where a fixed toweris built on each job.

Various embodiments of the invention may be employed within the scope ofthe accompanying claims.

I claim:-

1. In combination, a transporting vehicle, a storage bunker for mixedconcrete mounted on said vehicle, a tower pivotally mounted on saidvehicle for tilting thereon between a reclining transporting positionand an upright operating position, said tower extending downwardly to aposition below said bunker and adjacent thereto when in operation, andan elevator operable vertically of said tower for receiving concretedischarged by gravity from said bunker and delivering the same to ahigher level for pouring operations, and a device adjacent the bunkertop for selectively discharging the concrete from said elevator intosaid bunker.

2. In combination, a transporting vehicle, a storage bunker for mixedconcrete mounted on said vehicle, a tower pivotally mounted on saidvehicle for tilting thereon between a reclining transporting positionand an upright operating position, said tower extending downwardly to aposition below said bunker and adjacent thereto when in operation, anelevator operable vertically of said tower for receiving concretedischarged by gravity selectively from either said bunker or an externalsource and delivering the same to a higher level for discharge topouring operations, and a switch to effect discharge from'said elevatorinto said bunker of concrete supplied to said elevator from eithersource.

3. In combination, a transporting vehicle, a storage bunker for mixedconcrete mounted on said vehicle, a tower pivotally mounted on saidvehicle for tilting thereon between a reclining transporting positionand an upright operating position, said tower extending downwardlyto aposition below said bunker and adjacent thereto when in operation, andan elevator operable vertically of said tower for receiving concretedischarged by gravity from said bunker and delivering the same to ahigher level, the front and rear ends of said bunker having hinged topsections for folding to provide room'for said tower to tilt forwardlyacross the top of the bunker to its horizontal position.

4. In combination, a transporting vehicle, a storage bunker for mixedconcrete mounted on said vehicle at the rear end thereof, a towerpivotally mounted on the frame of said bunker for tilting thereonbetween a substantially horizontal transporting position and asubstantially vertical operating position, said tower extendingdownwardly to a position below said bunker. when in operation, and anelevator bucket operable vertically of said tower between a lowerloading position and selected alternative discharge positions near thetop of said tower for placement of concrete and just above said bunkerfor dis- ,charge into the latter.

5. In combination, a transporting vehicle, a storage bunker for mixedconcrete mounted on said vehicle at the rear end thereof, a towerpivotally mounted on the-frame of said bunker for tilting thereonbetween a substantially horizontal transporting position and asubstantially vertical operating position, an elevator bucket operableverticaliy of said tower between a lower loading position and a positiondischarging into said bunker, and a guide secured to said tower fordelivering the concrete from said bucket into said bunker, said guidebeing disposed to occupy space in said bunker when said tower is tiltedforwardly to horizontal position across the top ,of said bunker.

6. In combination, a transporting vehicle, a. storage bunker for mixedconcrete mounted on said vehicle at the rear end thereof, a towerpivotally mounted on the frame-of said bunker for tilting thereonbetween a substantially horizontal transporting position and asubstantially vertical operating position, an elevator bucket operablevertically otsaid tower between a lower loading position where itreceives concrete from said bunker and an upper discharge position nearthe top of said tower, and a hopper suspended from said tower at anadjustable level for receiving concrete from said bucket, said hopperbeing disposed to occupy space on said vehicle just forward of thebunker when said tower is tilted to horizontal position fortransportation.

7. In combination, a transporting vehicle, a storage bunker for mixedconcrete mounted on said vehicle at one end thereof, a tower pivotallymounted on said vehicle for tilting thereon between a substantiallyhorizontal transporting position and a substantially vertical operatingposition, said tower extending downwardly to a position below saidbunker and adjacent thereto when in operation, a chute on the tower forreceiving mixed concrete from delivery trucks, an elevator operablevertically of said tower for receiving concrete discharged by gravityalternatively from said bunker or from said chute and delivering thesame to a higher level, and a secondary' storage hopper on said tower atsaid higher level for receiving concrete from said elevator anddelivering the same to pouring operations.

8. In combination, a truck having a frame and supporting wheelswithpower means for driving the same, a drivers cab at the forward end ofthe truck, a storage bunker for mixed concrete mounted on the rear endof the truck, a tower for elevating concrete to and from said bunker anddisposed to tilt between a substantially vertical operating position onthe rear side of said bunker forwardly to a substantially horizontaltransporting position lying across the bunker and over the top of thedrivers cab, and a hopper carried by said tower at adjustable levels anddisposed to occupy space on said truck between said cab and said bunkerduring transportation.

9. In combination, a transporting vehicle, a storage bunker for mixedconcrete mounted on said vehicle at the rear end thereof, a towerpivotally mounted on the frame of said bunker for tilting thereonbetween a substantially horizontal transporting position and asubstantially vertical operating position, said tower extendingdownwardly to a position below said bunker when in operation, anelevator bucket operable vertically of said tower betweena lower loadingposition where it receives concrete from said bunker and an upperdischarge position near the top of said tower, a hopper suspended fromsaid tower at an adjustable level for receiving concrete from saidbucket, said hopper being disposed to occupy space on said vehicle justforward of the bunker when said tower is tilted to horizontal positionfor transortation, and an upright standard on said vehicle ahead of thepositionof said hopper to support the forward end of the tower duringsuch transportation.

10. In combination, a transporting vehicle, a storage bunker forconcrete mounted on said vehicle at one end thereof and having asupporting frame around the same, an elevator tower pivotally mounted onthe rear of said bunker frame for tilting thereon between asubstantially horizontal transporting position in which it lies acrossthe top of said bunker and a substantially vertical operating position,and a ram having its lower end secured to the center of said vehicle andits upper end to the adjacent side of said accuse bunker frame at thetop, said ram having an upwardly movable member for pivotally raisingand lowering said tower from and to horizontal position.

11. In combination, a transporting vehicle, a storage bunker forconcrete mounted on said vehicle at one end thereof and having asupporting frame around the same, an elevatorv tower pivotally mountedon the rear of said bunker frame for tilting thereon between asubstantially horizontal transporting position in which it lies acrossthe top of said bunker and a substantially vertical operating position,and a ram having its lower end secured to the center of said vehicle andits upper end to the adjacent side of said bunker frame at the top,.said ram serving to brace said bunker and tower in operation and havingan upwardly movable member free 'to tilt relative to said ram forpivotally raising and lowering said tower from and to horizontalposition.

12. In combination, a transporting vehicle, a storage bunker forconcrete mounted on said vehicle at one end thereof and having asupporting frame around the same, an elevator tower pivotally mounted onthe rear of said bunker frame for tilting thereon between asubstantially horizontal transporting position in which it lies acrossthe top of said bunker and a substantially vertical operating position,a ram having its lower end secured to the center of said vehicle and itsupper end to the forward side of said bunker frame at the top, said ramhaving an upwardly movable member for pivotally raising and loweringsaid tower from and to horizontal position, a jack for supporting saidvehicle at its rear end adjacent the bunker and tower, and a jack forsupporting the center of said vehicle against the thrust of said ram.

13. In apparatus of the class described, a pivotally mounted tiltingtower with a bucket for elevating concrete and the like, and a ram forraising and lowering the tower from and to substantially horizontalposition, said ram comprising a fixed member disposed to lean toward thepivotal axis of the tower from a support substantially below the levelof said axis and forward of the same, an upwardlymovable member havingits lower end operating as though telescoped by said fixed member andhaving its upper end engaging a seat on said tower, said movable memberbeing free to change its direction from that of said fixed member toprovide for its upper and transcribing an are about the pivotal axis ofsaid tower, and power means for lifting said movable member relative tosaid fixed member.

14. In apparatus of the class described, a pivotally mounted tiltingtower with a bucket for elevating concrete and the like, and a ram forraising and lowering the tower from and to'substantially horizontalposition, said ram compris ing a fixed member disposed to lean towardthe pivotal axis of the tower from a support substantially below thelevel of said axis and forward of the same, an upwardly movable memberhaving its lower end operating as though telescoped by said fixed memberand having its upper end engaging a seat on said tower, said movablemember being free to change its direction from that of said fixed memberto provide for its upper end transcribing an are about the pivotal axisof said tower, and block and tackle connections between the upper end ofsaid fixed member and the lower end of said movable member for'raisingthe latter.

15. In apparatus of the class described, a pivotally mounted tiltingtower with a bucket for elevating concrete and the like, .a fixed memberconstituting an upwardly extending track disposed beneath the. free endof the tower when the latter is in its lower position, a movable pushmember having rollers at its lower end riding said track, means forsuspending said push memher from the upper end of said fixed member andfor raising said pushmember thereby, and means at the upper end of saidpush member for en gaging said tower to .be raised and for holding saidpush member against lateral displacement.

16. In apparatus of the class described, a pivotally mounted tiltingtower with a bucket for elevating concrete and the like, a fixed memberconstituting an upwardly extending track disposed beneath the free endof the tower when the latter is in its lower position, a'movable pushmember having rollers at its lower end riding said track, means forsuspending said push member from the upper end of said fixed member andfor raising said push member thereby, means at the upper end of saidpush .member for engaging said tower to be raised and for holding saidpush member against lateral displacement, and interlocking means forsecuring said push member substantially parallel to said fixed memberwhen thelformer reaches its uppermost position.

17. In apparatus of the class described, a pivotally mounted tiltabletower with a bucket for elevating concrete and the like, a ram forlifting said tower from a substantially horizontal position to apredetermined angle, cable means for completing the raising of saidtower from said predetermined angle to a substantially verticaloperating position, and power means for selectively operating said ram,cable means and.

bucket, said ram comprising a fixed track memher and an extensionmember, the latter having its upper end in engagement with said towerduring support of the latter by the ram and out of engagement therewithwhen the tower is upright.

18. .In apparatus of the class described, a pivotally mounted tiltabletower with a vertically operable bucket for elevating concrete and thelike, a ram for lifting said tower from a substantially horizontalposition to a predetermined angle, cable means for completing theraising of said tower from said predetermined angle to a point past deadcenter in its tilting movement, means to retard the tilting movement ofsaid tower from said point of dead center to substantially verticaloperating position, said ram comprising a fixed track member and anextension member, the latter having its upper end in engagement withsaid tower during support of the latter by the ram and'out of engagementtherewith when the tower is upright, and means for preventing saidextension member of the ram from tilting during its freedom fromengagement with the tower.

19. In combination with a folding portable tower of the class described,a bucket operable vertically of said tower to elevate concrete and thelike, a hopper on the downwardly tilting side i of said tower forreceiving concrete from said bucket, a hinged strut on said toweradapted to lie horizontally on the top of said tower when the latter isreclining for transportation and to extend horizontally at right anglesto the tower and a cable connected tothe upper and lower ends of saidtower and passing overv the outer endof said strut to brace said tower,one of said cable connections -bei-ng detachable to provide for thefolding of'said strut for transportation,

said bucket and hopper being disposed below the upper side of said towerand said strut folding to a flat positionv on -said tower when thelatter is in horizontal position.

when the latter'is in vertical operating position,

20. In combination; a transporting vehicle, a storage bunker for mixedconcrete mounted on said vehicle, an'elevator tower pivotally mounted onsaid-vehicle at a point below the top of said bunker. for tiltingbetween an upright operating position and a reclining transportingposition in which latter position the tower lies across and between thesides of said bunker, the upper part of the side of said bunker adjacentthe tower being mounted to pivot in the same directionas said towertoprovide for receiving thev tower in reclining position, and means forholding said bunker side upright in operative position.

21. In combination in a portable tower and bunker unit for handlingconcrete, in which the tower is supported to tilt between an uprightoperating position and a reclining transporting position in the latterof which the tower lies forwardly across the bunker, a concretereceiving chute pivoted tosaid tower and extending to the rear thereofwhen the tower is upright and folding inwardly of the tower when thelatter is in reclining position.

22. In combination, a portable tower and bunker unit for handlingconcrete, said tower providing an elevator for filling said bunker fromtruck loads of concrete and-for receiving concrete from said bunker toelevate the same to pouring levels, means to selectively discharge saidelevator either into said bunker at one level or to pouring operationsat another level and said bunker having the capacity to receive morethan one truck load of concrete at a time to provide for the mixing ofconcrete from more than one batch to make theconsistency thereof moreuniform, and said bunker being disposed at a height to dischargesubstantially. by gravity into said elevator.

23. The system of handling concrete, which comprises delivering mixedconcrete to the erection site in trucks, unloading a truck into anelevator having a tower, discharging the mixed concrete from saidelevator into a storage bunker at a level higher than said truckdischarge, and employing the same elevator to receive concrete from thebottom of said bunkerby gravity and elevate the same to a higher levelon said tower for pouring while saidtruck is after another load ofconcrete.

24. The system of handling concrete, which comprises delivering mixedconcrete to the erection site in trucks, unloading 'a truck into anelevator, discharging the mixed concrete from said elevator into astorage bunker, and while said truck is after another load of concreteemploying said elevator to elevate concrete from said bunker to a hopperabove the bunker for distribution to pouring operations, and storing alimited quantity of concrete in the hopper to enable use of the elevatorfor emptying another truckload of mixed concrete into the storage bunkerwithout interrupting pouring operations.

25. The system of handling concrete, which comprises delivering mixedconcrete into a storage bunker adjacent an elevator tower at the site oferection, successively filling an elevator bucket sive batches to astorage bunker at the site of erection, intermittently elevatingrepeated bucket loads of concrete from said bunker to pouring levels,and alternating therewith agitating the batches of concrete in saidbunker by repeatedly filling the elevator bucket by gravity flow fromthe bottom of said bunker and dumping the same into the top of saidbunker.

JOHN S. FRANCO.

